Mareeba - a ‘powerful’ new destination in the far north

Known for its pristine rainforests, tropical fruit and famous rodeo, Mareeba can now add ‘energy hub’ to that list, Mines and Energy Minister Geoff Wilson said today.

Mr Wilson said the Bligh Government had spent almost $4 million upgrading Ergon Energy’s Mareeba depot to cater for an increasing workload and expanding service area.

“Over time, the Mareeba depot has become one of Ergon Energy’s major facilities in the far north,” Mr Wilson said.

“This is mainly due to the fact that the town has a sealed airstrip that allows crews to fly in and out of the Cape and Torres Strait in all weather.”

The depot services almost 400,000 sqkm of Far North Queensland – an area almost as large as France and nearly six times the size of Tasmania.

This includes all areas north of Ellis Beach, west to the Gulf of Carpentaria and north to Cape York and the far reaches of the Torres Strait Islands to the Papua New Guinea border.

In the past seven years, the workforce at Mareeba has more than doubled, rising from 20 to 44.

Ergon powers 37,000 households and businesses in the Tablelands area, as well as the Kagara Zinc Mine site at Mt Garnet. They are also soon to re-establish the 66,000 volt supply to the Red Dome Mine site at Chillagoe.

The Mareeba upgrade, which was completed about three weeks ago, included:

·Construction of a 600sqm workshop and stores warehouse to store spares in preparation for the cyclone season,

·Establishment of training facilities and an environmentally friendly wash-down bay for operational vehicles,

·Installation of solar PV to supplement electricity supply to the depot,

·A 50% increase to the bitumen-surfaced hard stand area, providing extra space for job-lot storage and vehicle parking,

·The main building being re-roofed, re-painted and fitted with external cladding,

·Installation of aluminium window awnings to improve insulation and climate control within the building,

·A shaded outdoors area for staff gatherings, and

·The administrative building being gutted and fitted with modern amenities, an improved open-plan office layout, ergonometric workstations and improved lighting.

Mr Wilson said the depot could now support up to 60 staff and accommodate large training and meeting needs on site.

“Ergon has upgraded what were aged and tired facilities to a world-class workplace that is safe, tidy and far more pleasant. It’s one of Ergon’s most modern facilities in the far north.”